First of all, I want to thank the people who sent donation checks over with my parents. I can't tell you how heart warming it was to open all of those Christmas cards and find that kind of support. Support that will REALLY make a difference. Truly overwhelming and wonderful. There have been many Christmases (what is the plural of Christmas?) where I've asked for CD's, books, clothes, gadgets, all of the "normal" American things. I can honestly say that this Christmas, without any of those material gifts, will go down in the books as my most memorable by far. Seeing the opportunities we will be able to give to several kids because of those donations is the best Christmas present I could ask for. I can't think of anything that's more important than education. I will keep you all updated on the kids that we are able to sponsor. And again, thank you.
So, Mt. Kenya. It's so stinkin beautiful!!! I met up with my friend Matt and his brother David in Nairobi, then we made our way to Nanyuki to start the trek. The first day was mild- 4 or 5 hours of hiking but not too much altitude. We had a problem about an hour into our first hike though: my shoes. Ohhh goodness gracious, great balls of fire. I borrowed all of my gear from various friends: sleeping bag, hiking backpack, fancy schmancy quick dry towel, winter coat. And boots. Now, I suppose it would have been a good idea to wear the boots for more than five minutes before setting out to climb Africa's second highest mountain. But did I do that? Of course not. So I realized very quickly that this would be a problem: the skin on my heels was already broken and bleeding after an hour. Okay, so we bust out some mole skin, tape things up and keep going. By the second day, where we gained a lot of altitude and hiked for 8 hours, we had figured out the best way to keep the heels of my boots from rubbing. We used a ton of bandaids and mole skin. But then we didn't have any athletic tape, so what did we use to hold everything in place? Duct tape. Alllll the way around my ankles and heels. The day we summitted we got up at 3am and hiked for three and a half hours in the (beautiful) snow to see the sun rise over the top of the mountain. Such beauty, I tell you, such beauty. The thing is, you get to the top of the mountain, what an accomplishment, but really at that point, the day has just begun. What goes up must come down. So here's the point where I start to realize I'm going to ALSO lose my toenails. The pounding on your toes and knees as you're coming down the mountain is almost more difficult than going up. We hiked that day for another 8 hours, so that's a grand total of somewhere between 11 and 12 hours of hiking. Wheeeeew! We saw tons of beautiful plant life, endless blue skies, and breath-taking waterfalls. When we finally arrived at the last camp site, there were even hot showers!!! It felt so good to finally take those bloody boots off. I had black and blue toenails (three have since fallen off) horrendous blisters, and lastly, a missing layer of skin where the duct tape was around my ankles. BUT it was so worth it.
When my parents arrived later in December, we spent a day doing "touristy" stuff in Nairobi. We went to the elephant orphanage where you can see the elephants play and take their bottle feedings, and we also went to a giraffe center where you can feed the giraffes, and even put food in your mouth for them to take!! We had lunch at a shopping center in Nairobi which was so "Americanized," I was super pumped about my greek salad with fresh veggies and (sorta) feta cheese. Needless to say, I haven't had one of those in awhile. Then we headed back to Eldoret, where my parents came to the Pediatric Center at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, and also Neema Orphanage and Amani Shelter.
We also visited the Amani Shelter, which is a shelter for HIV positive women and children that I go to weekly. Thanks to numerous thoughtful donations, we were able to bring a little Christmas their way. One of my friends from the states had each kid in her 4th grade class draw a picture for one of the kids at the shelter in Kenya. The pictures were accompanied by a letter explaining how excited the American kids were to send their pictures across the world and be pen pals with children in Kenya. The kids at the shelter were so excited and thankful to each receive a picture from the states. Next I'll have them each draw a picture to send back to their new American pen pals. What a great cross cultural learning opportunity. Thanks, Becky, for such a great idea!!
My parents also brought over many clothing donations, including colorful dresses handmade by women from North church in Indianapolis, IN. (How thoughtful, thank you so much, Jim Lemons!!) We passed out dresses of various sizes to all the women and girls. They would go into a back room to try them on and then come out slightly bashful, but BEAMING. It meant so much to them to have a brand new handmade dress from America for Christmas. After all the presents were handed out, I passed out instruments and we sang many songs together, English and Swahili, like we always do. We also sang Christmas carols. I tell you, if you ever need proof of the power of music, just come visit me in Eldoret. You'll see all the proof in the world when you see these kids' faces light up while singing, dancing, and playing instruments. My dad was able to capture some of the magic in these great pictures.
Me and some of the women from the Amani Shelter. They're wearing their new homemade dresses!
We spent Christmas Day with one of my good friends from the Pediatric Center, Hellen, and her family. My parents and I made two American dishes to contribute to the Kenyan meal: butternut squash soup and apple crisp. Everyone liked the soup, but the apple crisp was so-so. Kenyans don't like their desserts very sweet, in fact, the only thing they like sweet is their chai tea. We ate a ton of traditional Kenyan food: chapati ( a fried, delicious flat pancake/crepe) sukuma wiki, (kale/mixed green veggies cooked very thoroughly), kuku (chicken), mchele (rice) etc, etc. Hellen showed us around her land-they have banana trees and other plants, lots of maize, several cows, and chickens. After we ate we just relaxed and enjoyed the company. After several hours we had chai tea, followed by more chatting and relaxing. What a wonderful Christmas!
Cooking over the fire.
After Christmas, my parents and I headed out to Masai Mara National Reserve for a real safari! I could not BELIEVE how close you get to these wild animals!! They're so used to seeing safari vans all throughout the park that they don't even flinch when you drive right up to them. We saw the "Big Five:" elephants, buffalo, leopards, lions, and even a shy rhino! We also saw tons of gazelles, birds, cheetahs, giraffes, and warthogs. The place where we camped in the park was next to a Masai village, so we also were able to go to a Masai wedding. The bride was 13 years old, and was meeting her husband for the first time on the wedding day, since the marriage had been pre-arranged. Our guide also mentioned that she was most likely the fourth or fifth bride--polygamy is still widely practiced in some African tribes. She just looked so young, innocent, and vulnerable. Also, absolutely miserable. It was a bit of a culture shock, as you can imagine, but none the less a good experience.
And just for good measure, a picture of Sarah Ellen Mamlin and I. She is one of the most amazing women I've ever met, and I am so thankful for the chance to work with her. What a beautiful spirit, giving heart, and fiery personality she has.
